Nutritionists Have Concerns Over Popular Soda Alternatives

How is your fridge balanced between food and fizziness right now? Many kitchens today find sparkling waters, low-sugar sodas, and other fizzy beverages taking over precious storage space in favor of food storage areas. Although these beverages might provide refreshing and enjoyable beverages – are they really offering healthier solutions? How much food and beverage consumption per day would constitute too much intake? Nutrition experts were asked what their go-to beverage for bubbly treats are, and provided insight on some leading brands. While low-sugar sodas tend to have some fans… Soda has undergone an improvement recently thanks to Olipop which markets itself as “a new kind of soda”. Olipop’s popularity among consumers, including registered dietician Marissa Meshulam. has increased dramatically. “Growing up I loved soda pop, so these bring back all of those sweet childhood memories without all of its added sugar,” she explained. “Each product contains five grams or less of added sugar plus added gut health benefits from prebiotics — win/win!” “Culture Pop is one of my favourite ways to support my gut health,” states registered dietician nutritionist Bianca Tamburello. With added probiotics that replenish beneficial bacteria in my digestive system and balance my microbiome. Each 12-ounce can contains 40 calories and 6 grams of sugar… But not everyone is convinced, with other nutrition experts raising concerns such as RDN Amanda Frankeny who states:…Olipop and Poppi claim adding inulin provides fiber that feeds beneficial microbes living in our guts, something many nutrition experts do not agree with. Fiber in soda may offer an appealing sweetening alternative that reduces its sugar content, yet I question its efficacy in terms of body benefits. As of yet, more studies are necessary before concluding it’s beneficial. “Frankeney noted that while “functional” appears on many of these cans, it is worthwhile to examine exactly what this term signifies. According to Frankeney, functional refers to anything extra added onto food products beyond what comes naturally within. “But the amount and components are unstandardized; their active components might not be beneficial to your body; and there’s little scientific rigor behind their health-promoting claims.” “Olipop advertises itself as beneficial to gut health, yet each pop contains 35 to 45 calories and 16 grams of carbs (equivalent to one slice of bread) before factoring in 9 grams of fiber.” Poppi, on the other hand, contains 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories and promotes itself with apple cider vinegar content; but as Smithson points out there isn’t sufficient scientific data that supports its inclusion. Still, these low-cal options can make a welcome treat once in awhile — particularly as an alternative to something like Coke with 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories.” Due to their reduced sugar levels, low-sugar sodas offer an effective means for switching up one’s beverage habit,” Frankeny suggested. If one utilizes these alternatives properly to increase hydration and thus see improvement in concentration, digestion, and exercise recovery. Consume with moderation: experts were consistently positive towards flavored sparkling waters and listed several favorites; Tamburello noted Aqua Seltzer with 15 calories and one gram of sugar as “must try”. LaCroix looks and tastes similar to sparkling water, yet is packed with probiotic-rich kombucha that promotes digestive health and immunity, according to her claim. Multiple experts mentioned LaCroix as well; one was Registered Dietician Barbara Ruhs who raved “after tasting its pamplemousse flavor, I was instantly hooked”. “LaCroix makes for an exciting flavor experience and pairing it with different beverages to reduce sugar intake is easy! Just mix with orange or cranberry juice, for instance, adding LaCroix adds a delicious boost for an instantly refreshing beverage!” LaCroix contains zero calories and sweeteners, while Rambler stands out with the perfect balance of carbonation – not overbearing or too bubbly! “My refrigerator always stocks with this refreshing beverage for its delicious, fun taste as a zero-cal beverage option!” Tamburello raved. It provides “an enjoyable yet healthy way of staying hydrated without adding unwanted extra weight,” according to him. “I truly admire how every Rambler product sold is used to support conservation efforts through American Rivers and Texas Parks & Wildlife. Both dietitian Sharon Palmer and Meshulam mentioned Spindrift.” Meshulam noted that Sound, instead of using natural flavors which often fall far short of being truly “natural”, relied upon fruit juice in their four ingredient beverage with less than 20 Calories per bottle and no artificial preservatives or flavors added in. Another of Meshulam’s recommendations. “This brand makes tea into an enjoyable treat!” the host declared, noting no added sugars or strange additives were present and that each bottle contained zero calories for consumption. Store brands also got mentions during her speech. “Call me frugal, but my preferred carbonated beverage of choice is one sold by Kroger or Harris Teeter,” Smithson stated. He explained there’s significant cost savings with these store brands available at local supermarkets that contain zero calories, one or fewer grams of carbohydrates and no added sugars. Ruhs recommends Costco’s Kirkland brand as an economical, yet flavorful beverage option; “their basic flavors make for great prices. “DIY TipsIf you prefer saving both money and resources by creating drinks yourself, Palmer suggests making these beverages yourself may be best for both budget and environment. “Using a carbonated beverage machine such as SodaStream to craft carbonated drinks allows you to customize their ingredients while saving money and decreasing environmental footprint.” Frankeny endorses this approach to bubbly drinks: “We use bubbly tap water flavored with shrubs, bitters, juice, tea and spices from shrubs to bitters to electrolyte mixes to flavor it with shrubs – including shrubs like bitters – bitters bitters bitters juice tea spices electrolyte mixes as well as canned bevvies for parties.” How Much Fizz Is Too Much? Just as any delicious and enjoyable activity may lead to overindulgence it’s possible that overindulging when it comes to bubbly beverages can go overboard on what can become over time as with anything delicious or fun; overindulgences of bubbly drinks can go beyond acceptable threshold! Meshulam suggested drinking predominantly flat water and only drinking fizzy items occasionally to limit excessive carbonation levels from causing stomach distress, bloat and heartburn. “These drinks could also help support intestinal health in general.” Tamburello stated, “it used to be thought that carbonated beverages caused damage to teeth enamel, however there’s little evidence suggesting zero-sugar carbonated drinks have any correlation to tooth erosion,” according to some scientific literature. Studies show that sugary carbonated beverages, like soft drinks, weaken tooth enamel and promote tooth decay – another reason to opt for zero-sugar fizzy drinks.” Consider Contributing Today (starting at $2)! Help HuffPost provide quality journalism that prioritizes people. Can’t afford it now? Sign up and read. Thanks again for all you’ve already contributed – HuffPost appreciates every one of them!” “Pitch in For Free Journalism Now (beginning from $2!) ” Thank you so much for helping to ensure we keep journalism free for everyone – the stakes this year are particularly high and our 2024 coverage would benefit from additional help from readers like yourself! We sincerely thank all our supporters. Would you be open to becoming a regular HuffPost contributor? Thank you for all that you’ve already contributed to HuffPost and for choosing to stay involved! 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Tamburello warned: calories from low sugar or low calorie fizzy beverages could add up if consumed regularly in large quantities. “That being said, that doesn’t justify cutting out drinks with calories or sugar entirely; moderation is key here. Support Free JournalismConsider supporting HuffPost from as little as $2.00 each month so we can continue providing high-quality journalism that serves people first. Can’t contribute? Donate in other ways! Support HuffPost by creating a free account and signing in while reading. Thank you for being part of HuffPost and contributing. Thank you so much for helping to ensure our journalism remains free for everyone. With 2024 coverage at stake this year, your continued support would make a real difference! Are You Thinking about Becoming an HuffPost Contributor Regularly? Thank You for Your Past Contributions to HuffPost At HuffPost, we sincerely appreciate our readers for helping to keep journalism accessible for everyone. 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